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Durability of Lightweight Aggregate Concrete in the Application of Floating Hydrocarbon Storage Tanks
March 14, 2019 @ 4:30 pm
Durability of Lightweight Aggregate Concrete in the Application of Floating Hydrocarbon Storage Tanks
by Zhen Ni
Research Engineer, National University of Singapore
Date: Thursday, 14 March 2019
Time: 4:30 pm to 6.00 pm
Venue: EA-06-02, Faculty of Engineering, National University of Singapore
Abstract
The scarce land area of Singapore has led to growing development of the sea space. As a promising alternative to land reclamation, floating structures have received increasing attention in the recent years due to their flexibility. The current research project explores the applicability of floating concrete structures as the storage tanks for hydrocarbon products. This seminar addresses the durability performance of concrete, specifically lightweight aggregate concrete (LWAC), as utilized in Floating Hydrocarbon Storage Tanks. LWAC has been applied in many marine floating structures due to its lower density compared to conventional concrete. The main durability issue of marine concrete structures is the corrosion of steel reinforcement induced by the chloride ion ingress. On the other hand, the construction of steel lining system in concrete storage tanks can result in to increase in construction cost and duration. The current research also seeks the alternative of storing hydrocarbon products in concrete tanks without a liner. The primary degradation mechanism for concrete in direct contact with hydrocarbon products is the neutralization of the passive concrete cover caused by the acidity content, which will eventually lead to the corrosion of the reinforcement steel and impair the structural integrity. This seminar presents the respective experimental programs to evaluate concrete’s resistance to chloride ion ingress, as well as the rate of neutralization by the acidic hydrocarbon products, from which the long-term service life of the storage tanks can be estimated accordingly.
About the speaker
Zhen Ni is currently a Research Engineer in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at National University of Singapore (NUS). She received her Bachelor’s degree in Civil engineering from NUS in 2014. Prior to joining NUS as a research staff, she worked as an Engineer in Subsea 7 (Singapore). Zhen Ni’s research interest focuses on the durability performance of lightweight aggregate concrete and the size effect of statistical distribution of concrete structures.
Contact Person:
Assoc. Prof Qian Xudong: 6516 6827, Email: qianxudong@nus.edu.sg
Assoc. Prof Low Ying Min: 6516 4127, Email: ceelowym@nus.edu.sg
General Enquiry:
Ms. Ivy Poh Tel: 6516 6853, Email: ceepab@nus.edu.sg